Horrendous Pile Up on I4

[DaylilyDawn]

This morning about 5:00 am a 50 vehicle wreck has happened due to smoke and fog. The fog combined with the smoke from a fire along I 4 and blanket the Interstate with a very dense blanket of it. At least 3 people hare dead and many others are trapped in their cars. Rescue workers are just now being able to get to the area by plane and helicopter. 6 tractor trailers have burned completely down to the frame. Check out the website of WESH the Orlando NBC station at http://www.WESH.com or http://www.tbo.com. I4 is closed , both east and west bound lanes between Polk City and US 27. The area is close to the state road 557
My prayers go out to all victims and their families.

[flwxwatcher]

Yes... that is not too far from me.. The smoke was caused by a controlled burn that got out of control and it was very very foggy in spots this morning around Central Florida.

[DaylilyDawn]

I am glad that you were not on the road this morning! My youngest son dropped his girlfriend off at the airport in Orlando this morning and was going to come over to Lakeland to see us but found out about this while he was preparing to get a shower. Right now he is trying to figure out a route to get to Lakeland that will not involve going on I4.

[dizzyfish]

Feederband lives near this area too I think. Hope he wasn't on the road either!

[feederband]

Im good...

The amazing thing is when I see these things or drive though them is that the cars seem to slow down but the truckers never do...I have been in a real bad fog on I-4 to the point where you didn't know where you were...I saw cars were stopping on the road not in the emergency lanes... I stopped only to find out I was in the middle of the media...But the truckers just kept going...

[Cyclone1]

Heard that this morning at school. They're already asking for blood donors.

[JonathanBelles]

2-miles down and out, 4 dead, many injured, 70 cars or more demolished, 10 separate pileups....and if the Interstate were to open tonight, which it wont, it would happen again. The one errie thought....there was no screeching brakes during the accident, all boom boom boom smush.

[HURAKAN]

Horrible to hear. My condolences to the families of those that passed away.

[JonathanBelles]

I-4 will be shut down every night from 11pm to 7am until Fog and Smoke are not a problem.

[JonathanBelles]

I-4 is open, but I doubt it will be open for long with fog rolling in. I wouldnt use I4 for a few days-weeks.

[Ptarmigan]

That's horrible. I remember one a few years back, but no one died, but many injuries though.

[TexasStooge]

We never had that kind of a pile-up on the TX freeways.

[DaylilyDawn]

We here in FL. have seen many accidents but on a much smaller scale. Usually though it involves alcohol. I am glad that my son decided to get a motel room and went to sleep for
a couple of hours, otherwise he would been in that traffic Wednesday morning.

[vbhoutex]

We never had that kind of a pile-up on the TX freeways.

maybe not in the Dallas area. We had a 20(??) car pile up on our outer loop a few years ago due to fog. If I remember correctly no one was killed though.

this was a terrible accident and if you really can't see anything it almost isn't even safe to pull off the road since you don't know where you are going. Terrible tragedy and situation.

[Ptarmigan]

maybe not in the Dallas area. We had a 20(??) car pile up on our outer loop a few years ago due to fog. If I remember correctly no one was killed though.

this was a terrible accident and if you really can't see anything it almost isn't even safe to pull off the road since you don't know where you are going. Terrible tragedy and situation.

I remember that one. It was in late December of 2002.

[DaylilyDawn]

When I am on my crossing sometimes it is so foggy that I can not see my house or the school buildings. I see parents bringing their kid to school driving with no lights on and speeding through the school zone.

[JonathanBelles]

A 5th person has died.

Also, I4 was closed for fog again this morning.